More pictures

If you want to see more pictures from our sealing go to www.ayaphotography.com and click on client- the password is thomson.

Never a better day

The most amazing thing in the world is being in the temple with your children. Holding them in front of the eternal mirrors having a concrete grasp on the beginning of your posterity and realizing that this covenant isn't just about you. Saturday was the best day of my life and a day I have yearned for since I could remember. I love my husband and my sons and I am thankful for the priesthood and the amazing power that it is in our lives. {Thank you Heather for the picture- your the best!}

More Pictures from the Photoshoot

Nicole, I will send you a disk with all the pictures on it but for now I thought that I would wet your palate a little. Here are some pictures from our recent photoshoot with the boys. I already posted one of Max by himself so here are a few more samplings. You would think that Turner was looking at something funny but really he was looking at the tootsie roll dangled above my camera that we promised to give to him if he smiled. See he can do it with the right motivation!

Party anyone?

My friend is having an Usbourne party in the Utah Valley anyone want to come? Send me your address to my email teamthomson2005@gmail.com. It is Sat. the 15th! Please come- if for no other reason just to see me!

Maxwell David- 7 months

Turner is really into full names right now. The other day we were at Ross and there was a young toddler there. You know how toddlers exclaim their joy when they see a baby.. well that is what this little boy was doing at the sight of Max. "Baby, baby, baby!!!" Turner looked at him with narrow eyes and a serious look on his face and retorted: "No! Maxwell David!" The little boy persisted and so did Turner, pretty soon I had to leave the isle and head for a place of peace away from the war of the toddlers. Well my little Maxwell David is now 7 months old! It has flown by fast and I can't believe that we are on the downhill of the first year. Max has become a very happy child. (I know you can't tell from the portrait- stinker!) He loves to laugh esp. at his big brother. He wants to be right in the middle of the action and hates to be alone. He is still nursing like a champ but doesn't really like baby food. He would rather eat table food- a slice of bread or a hand full of kix is heaven sent. If he is going to eat baby food it is going then he would prefer sweet potatoes over anything else. He will sometimes eat peaches and pears but has literally thrown up over squash and green beans. Max is sitting up like a champ and can roll to get anything that he wants. He is a light sleeper and would prefer to sleep with mom and dad but has been sleeping "through the night" for a couple of months (except for when we are visiting family because I think he knows that I am not going to let him cry and wake everyone else up. And then it takes a week to get him back into the habit and then Turner get sick and is waking him up in the night...) He LOVES toys and is easily occupied with them. We love our Max and can't believe that he has only been with us for 7 months! We love you Max!

Halloween Happenings

We made it through another Halloween. This year we threw together costumes at the last minute and I have to say that I am pretty proud of ourselves. Turner was a cowboy, Max a court jester, Me a bride and Josh my bridesmaid. The dresses were in the closet just begging to be worn :)
(I know I know your not suppose to cross-dress, good thing my mom doesn't read my blog.) Turner and Max were invited to Stacy's Scardy Tot party-it was so fun! We had a blast being immersed in toddler world. (thanks for the picture Stacy I stole it from your blog!) Friday night Turner and I carved his pumpkin that he got at the pumpkin patch with GG and Crapa. We threw homemade pizza in the oven (our typical Friday night dinner) and ran around until we were all ready. After the candy was gone I turned off the lights and headed out to join the kids. We ended up at the McKays where they have a fire pit and doughnuts. We didn't even need coats it was such a warm night.
This is Turner's face when we informed him that he couldn't eat his Halloween candy until the next day (we sure are mean!) Max had a blast trying on Josh's wig- so this is what a daughter with a lot of hair might look like- cute if you ask me! We had just a great holiday and look forward to celebrating for the next couple of months! Now to decide where we are going for Thanksgiving...

Happy Thought- good quotes

One of my favorite quotes came up in a conversation with Josh tonight and I thought I would pass it along: "Real freedom is the ability to pause between stimulus and response and in that pause choose." -Rollo May. I love this quote! Steven Covey has been given credit for it before but it is really the work of Rollo May.

I am back!

So I have arrived back from my homeland. It was great to be with my family and enjoy those relationships that haven't been fortified in a long time. I didn't bring my point and shoot camera so all of the snapshot were left to my sister, parents, and cousins. So I don't have copies of them yet and probably by the time I get copies ya'll won't be interested in my trip any longer. So here is one of my sister and I have some portraits of my nephews and my kids I will post soon. Although the hardest thing about taking pictures of your own kids is that you can't be the mom and the photographer at the same time- so they aren't smiling in any of them but my sister's kids look great. We went to the Phoenix Zoo, the temple, the Prescott Zoo, my cousins took Turner to a Pumpkin patch, we rode a pony, did crafts with Grandma, Turner and Max had their first plane ride, went to homecoming, and overall just had tons of fun hanging out with cousins. I wish I could say that I was glad to be home but I feel like I belong to two different worlds and I am not completely whole in either one. I love AZ but I love UT also for very different reasons. I hope that someday we can find a happy medium.
Natasha's wedding was wonderful. She looked beautiful and her husband (Clint)seemed so excited to be marring her. The ceremony lasted all of 10 minutes but the message the sealer had was amazing! He talked about how he raised 7 children and one of them (Gary) was very good at trying to turn Mom and Dad against each other. One day he sat his son down and told him how much he loved him. He also stated that if he got to the other side and if Gary wasn't there he would be very sad. It would be really hard but if his wife wasn't there then he wouldn't be able to make it to the Celestial Kingdom. So although the relationship that we have with our children is important, it is the relationship that we have with our spouse that is the most essential. The truthfulness of his message was really impressed upon me. It is so easy to get sidetracked while raising small children. His message really helped me rededicate myself to my marriage and make sure that is my top priority in my family.

AZ here I come!

Well, tomorrow morning before the sun is up I will be on my way "home." Josh doesn't like it when I call my parent's house home because it is suppose to be that this is my home now. I love my little town in the Mountains but AZ will always be home. There are so many that I love that live there that it will take many more years of living here before I have the same type of attachment to this place.



I am so glad that I will be there for a couple of weeks because I want to see as many of you as possible! So please email me your phone numbers- teamthomson2005@gmail.com or call me 801.440.3304 on my cell phone. I really need some time to just relax and be with dear friends and family! See ya soon!

It's raining it's pouring

Monday we took our cute little Max to the Dr. for his 6mo. check up. 6mos. can you believe it! Well while we were there I happened to mention that Turner had had a couple of episodes where his heart was racing so fast that I couldn't count the beats- for no apparent reason. It turns out that he probably has a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia or SVT for short. This isn't a good thing as while he is having an episode his body isn't getting nutrient rich blood because it is pumping so fast that it doesn't have time to get the things that it needs to take to the rest of his body. If his episodes last longer than a few minutes that it could be very dangerous. I have to meet with a pediatric cardiologist at Primary Children's Hospital and rush him into the Dr. or the emergency room next time it happens so they can preform an EKG. Well the ped. cardiologist is booked until Dec. so I guess it is just a bunch of waiting for us. And just for the cherry on top- our dishwasher kicked the bucket the same day. What does all of this mean? That something great must be right around the corner.

Thank You For Your Love!

I have been very touched by the out pouring of concern that has been expressed for Josh and I after my last post. Josh has been having some severe pain in his abdomen on and off for the last month or so. He had been to the doctor and he hadn't been able to diagnosis he up to this point. He was scheduled to return today for more testing but after a series of attacks on Friday he decided that he couldn't wait and went to the ER in Salt Lake since he was down there for work. By this time I was pretty sure that it was Gallbladder disease due to the fact that I had my gallbladder out last October. After tests the ultrasound confirmed that his "gallbladder was chock full of stones and contracting down around them." (Dr. Patel, discharged consultation)

They decided since he was so far from home to discharge him so that he could have the surgery up here with the surgeon that preformed my operation. The only downfall is that he is booked 2 weeks out just for a consultation! So he is trying to eat very carefully to avoid another attack. He is home from work today so he can meet with the Dr. The biggest problem with all of this is that I am suppose to be leaving Friday for 2 weeks for my sisters wedding. I am worried to leave him while I am gone. I am going to have to make a list for him of things he can and can not eat and hope that he doesn't have another attack again because then they will probably have to do an emergency surgery. So in short we are doing well now and thankful that it wasn't appendicitis!
P.S. on a happy note, if I am able to really leave- I will be in AZ for 2 weeks! Anyone down there want to hang out?

cancellation

Due to my husband being in the ER all day today, the weather forecast and lack of interest the sisters reunion is cancelled. I hope this last minute new isn't an inconvenience for anyone!

Happy Thought- Parties

As long as I can remember I have always loved a good party. Birthdays as a child were always magical- if it was your party or someone else's it didn't matter- just any reason to get together was enough. Of course as I got older it just seemed like there were more and more opportunities to get together- stake dances, movie parties on Friday night, a night out with the girls. In High School it was a party pretty much Friday and Sat. night and then along came college um... that was just one big party Monday-Sunday you could almost always find something awesome going on. So here I am and it seems like no one ever gets together for a party anymore! Someone has to get pregnant,married, or wants to earn some Pampered Chef goods for us to get together and even then around here no one shows up. As you know I am selling Usbourne books and I was talking to someone who is having a party and they were worried that people would be offended at being invited! As you also know I am suppose to be having a sisters reunion this weekend and besides Shannon whose idea it was I have had one other person say they hoped they could come... is it just the area I live in? Is it just the people I associate with? I went to a baby shower last night and it was for 4 girls and hardly anyone showed up! What I am saying is that I love a party.. I know it is harder once all of your friends have children and you start to think.. if I have 3 friends over and they have an average of 3 kids a piece that could be up to 15 people not to mention the ensuing chaos. I guess all I am saying folks is that I love parties and I am thankful for the sacrifice and effort that people who choose to still to have them put into it. In the words of my good friends Wayne and Garth- Party on!


"To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude."
~ Albert Schweitzer ~

Details- sisters reunion

OK so I think that Shannon {Roberts} and I worked out the details.
Montana Sister's Reunion
Who: Everyone!
What: Potluck dinner
When: Sat. October 4, 2008 at 5pm
Where: My house- 857 E. Brookshire Dr. Kaysville Utah {84037} -mapquest it or you can email me for directions
Why: Because we want to see each other!

Bring something to throw on the grill and something to share. We will meet at 5 and then any men that might come along can go to the Stake Center and watch conference while we chat. Bring your old photo albums! Hope to see you there.. or here I guess :)
TELL EVERYONE!!

What am I to do?

I LOVE my calling in primary, I am the primary choirster. It really is the best calling in the world. Anyway today was our primary program and I have to say that they rocked it. The also sustained a new primary presidency so it was an action packed day. While I was busy with everything my sweet two year old snuck out of nursery. We have a ton of kids in the nursery and it isn't the fist time that my little one has found his way outside of the classroom. The people who enjoy serving in that calling are usually laid back (who else loves two hours of chaos?) Except Michelle- she is the best nursery leader ever! That is probably why she was chosen to be in the new primary presidency. So since she is no longer in there, Turner escaped. We are in the same ward as my in-laws and Grandpa found him. Where had Turner gone? He went across the hall to the bishop's office. He had found the candy stash and he was found sitting in the bishop's chair eating a lollipop. My only regret is that I didn't have my camera.

Loving Life

We are loving fall! We still enjoy the warm days but revel in the coolness of the evenings. I am amazed at how often the phrase "they grow up so fast" comes out of my mouth. I am not what I would call a briliant person but I do try to be more creative then throwing out cliches like they were candy at a local parade; but it is true that these kids don't seem to stay small. When I was pregnant with Turner I was so excited to be "having a baby." All I thought about was how wonderful it would be to hang out with my baby all day long. I am not naive enough that I didn't realize that this baby was going to grow up but honestly I didn't know that it would happen so fast. And as fast as Turner has grown, it just seems as if Max is trying to catch up to him. I see them day in and day out so sometimes I don't notice the leaps and bounds that they seem to amass until I take pictures and notice the huge changes. I know that I need to slow down and just cherish the moments.

Photo Tag

Rules of the tag: Go to your picture file, find the 4th folder and pick the 4th picture in it. Explain a little about the picture. Post. Tag others.
I have a couple of places that I keep pictures but since the 4th file on my other hardrive was the sample pictures that come with the computer I went with this random folder on my internal hard drive.
This is Turner on his first birthday getting his first taste of cake. It is amazing to me to see how much he has grown in a little over a year. Since this was my picture I thought that I would also include the picture of what happened to that cake. Yep- that is right he pretty much ate the whole thing. I know that I am an irresponsible mom to let my child eat a whole cake but he was having so much fun! It will be cool to see how Max's first birthday will be! I tag everyone who wants to play (you know you want to!! It is so fun!!) And anyone who is reading this with wet hair.

Calling all MBM sisters

Well, it has been over 9 years since I left my peaceful college life to go rough it in the wild wild west of Montana and Wyoming. It was only a year and a half but those of us who have served a mission would probably agree that that year and a half has had more impact on life than anything else besides becoming a mother. Nothing made me feel older than when I went to a mission reunion two years ago.
It was a combined mission reunion with the mission president after Hogland and they decided to see who was there that had been home the longest... it was me. Well, I was talking to Shannon (Roberts) yesterday and she was saying how fun it would be to have a sisters reunion. I thought that it would be a great idea but realizing that I am not in touch with very many sisters I felt that it would probably flop. Shannon seemed to think that if everyone got in touch with everyone they knew then it could end up being fun. Here is my mass calling to all the sisters who have ever served in MBM... well those who served around the turn of the millennium we are having a party conference weekend. RSVP if you are interested! Oh yeah and tell everyone you know- more details to follow and if you would like to help, let me know that too!
{these are just the pictures I already had scanned}

Taking time for the kids

Thank goodness for Tiger proof glass. I mean I love the zoo! Where else could you get this close to a wild animal that can rip your head off? Not only could he get this close, I encouraged it! For the last few weeks I have been watching my neighbor's baby 3 days a week. I know I am crazy! But it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. He is 8 weeks old today and pretty much sleeps a ton. Even though it isn't bad it makes going places impossible. So on Mondays I try to make sure I get out of the house to do something Turner oriented. I am so thankful I have a pass to the zoo, the children's museum, and the library- a must for any stay at home mom. Yesterday we went to the zoo. Turner loves the animals and I love having my kids contained in a stroller!



I have also developed an addiction for Usbourne books. They are awesome! I had been given a couple when Turner was a baby and they were our favorites. To support my habit I decided to become a consultant. I had thought of doing Mary Kay or Pampered Chef just for an out with ladies once in a while but I am just not into that type of thing like I am into children's books. If you want to check out my website it is www.tiffanysbookstore.com {it is a site the company set up for me not as artsy as I would make it} Check it out and sign up for a free drawing! If you want to earn free books by hosting a show let me know!

I am it!

10 years ago

1998- I was at UVSC (now UVU)
Living in Cinnomon Tree apartments
With Inga, Brooke, Deanna, Crystal and Yolanda
Preparing to go on my mission in 1999
Studing to become a teacher

5 years ago

Had Just graduated from college the previous year
Living in Gilbert AZ
Working as a Family Support Specialst with families "in the system"
Teaching parents how to parent when I had never had a kid
Starting my masters program

5 months ago

Max just turned 5 mo. so I was coming home from the hospital
Nursing
Trying to get as much sleep as possible
Worring about Turner and how he would adjust

Five things to do today

Finish reading blogs
Read my scriptures
Brush my teeth
Say my prayers
Get into my PJS

Five Bad habits

Watching too much TV
Gossiping to Josh about everything I heard today
Forgetting to brush Turner's teeth
Not making my bed
Wasting time

5 Places I have lived

Arizona (Prescott, Thatcher, Mesa, and Gilbert)
Utah (Provo, Salt Lake, Farmington, and Kaysville)
Wyoming (Lander)
Montana (Missoula, Poulson, and Thompson Falls)
{-does that count as 5?}
I tag all of those whoes kitchen floor needs to be mopped!

Super Mom?

September always reminds me of new beginnings. I think it is because back to school always brings changes. I love change! I know it isn't normal but I do- I love new beginnings and getting organized. The downfall of this is that I hate routine. I set new goals and go gung ho but it seems to fizzle out. I want to be super mom. I want to have my house clean- esp. the bathroom and kitchen always, I want to work out, drink my water, plan educational stimulating activities for my children. We have couple scripture study but I need to up my personal scripture study. I want to have healthy meals planned and made for my family. I want to make sure to have social time with friends and keep in touch with friends far away. I want to make time with to spend with my husband one on one and wholesome family activities. I want to serve those around me and spend time on personal enrichment. So how do you do it all? Please those of you out there that manage to have fulfilling days let me in on your secret because it is time for goals!

Happy Thought- Moose

This weekend we went camping up in the Unitas. It was so beautiful. On the way to our campsite Friday evening we saw a cow moose off to the side of the road. We watched her for a few minutes until she turned her back to us and started peeing. Turner thought that was the greatest thing ever! Then Sunday morning we watched a mother and her calf right across from our campsite! I have to admit that this picture isn't mine- my camera was in the van about 5 yards from her and I didn't want to risk making mamma mad. I have been obsessed with moose since my mission. In fact I use to want a big bull moose mounted above my fireplace. I am so glad that that phase passed because with 8 foot ceilings it would look a little awkward. It was so neat to see them so close.



Camping was so fun. We went with Josh's parents. Cathy is a super camper and sets up her own outdoor kitchen! Turner was having a blast with all the dirt and sticks! Max just loves to be held so he was in Heaven. I can't get Josh to go camping very often but usually he will do it for Labor day. It was great until about Sunday night when the rains started and didn't stop. By about 4am it was starting to leak through the tent. By 6:30 we were packing up and heading out. So now we have our tent set up under our carport in attempts to dry it out so we can pack it up. It was a great time and we have wonderful memories but I am excited to go sleep in my own bed! In fact that is where I am headed now. Good night!

Good-byes, Happy Birthdays and Amazing Beauty

Last week we went to Island Park ID for an amazing weekend in Yellowstone. While we were there Josh turned 30! He got to spend his birthday in one of the prettiest places in the whole world (I am still partial to Glacier National Park but Yellowstone is pretty close.) We had a great time and saw some awesome sights. Some people dream of vacations to the beach esp. Hawaii but my slice of Heaven is in the Mountains. I haven't felt so much peace in a long time. (I don't know what is up with the following HTML stuff but if I try to erase it then I loose a pic!) a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHXgzb-KCr9PKjpyR77d4z_7esHDphBt1pmQ_7kJjpbz0GEGMbJXF5HANvRB7Uold2V3kdMCktJGI2qa83VJfcmJ9OZBfsFvwD0spDsArR1S8Pm2uMvFmroeiRWKw5N17lEMGZ85AZNI/s1600-h/YS004.jpg"> We got a chance to not only go with Josh's parents but also his grandparents! It was so cool to vacation with 4 generations. His grandmother is so good with the kids and it was so great! While we were there we had a memorial for Josh's biological grandfather. It was interesting to hear everyone that had better memories of him than his own family. Without going into detail- it taught me that we need to treat those that are closest to with the most respect, love and patience.
Josh's birthday was the day we spent in the park. It was so fun to honor him in such a fabulous place. I went to Montana on my mission and hadn't been back in a long time. We didn't spend time anywhere close to where I served but it reminded me a lot of some of my favorite areas. I just found a lot of peace with where my life is at now. I have to say that although I LOVED my mission- being a mom and a wife is way better. I loved being able to realize that God is not only involved in the details of the earth but he is also involved in the details of our lives. Josh happy late birthday (I couldn't blog while on vacation but really I wouldn't have with all the beauty to take in!) You are an amazing father and husband. I am so thankful everyday that I got such a great man who not only is willing to put up with me but even seems to like it! Josh loves our family and is ALWAYS willing to help out in any way that I need him to. I honestly feel like we are such a part of a team and I know that most girls don't get that. Thank you Josh! Here is to 30 more- but this time together :)
(What a handsome group of guys don't you think?)